CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

Drew POV

The sigh that left my lips felt heavier than my whole body as I sank into my seat on the plane. My chest tightened at the thought that it would be a long, long time before I saw Adrian again. Maybe too long.

If only Father knew the truth. I had told him I was just dropping a friend off at the airport, but the one standing in line with a ticket clutched in trembling fingers was me. Not my so-called “friend.” Me.

The lie sat like poison in my gut. I hated myself for how pathetic I looked sneaking around, hiding like some coward, lying through my teeth to my own father. And not just to him. To everyone. To Tommy.

Everything I had told him about my life, my job, my hobbies was a carefully spun web of lies. He thought I was a teacher. In reality, I worked for a newspaper company. Not because I was good at it, not because it was my dream, but because Father had shoved the position into my lap. Another way for him to keep me on his leash.

I even lied about the smallest things. Starbucks. I pretended to love it just so I could sound more… normal. Like someone who had little quirks and everyday habits. But truthfully? I hated coffee.

Sometimes, when I thought about all the half-truths and stories I’d piled up, I wondered if one day it would all come crashing down on me. If karma would slap me across the face so hard I’d never recover. And honestly? Maybe I deserved it.

Still, despite all that, Adrian was the one person I had been honest with. The only one who knew the real me. My fears. My anger. My weakness. My desperation. I had told him about my problems with work, about Father’s grip over my life.

And every time, he would push me. Tell me to stop acting weak, to fight back, to stand on my own. But the truth was, I couldn’t. My voice failed me whenever I thought about standing up to Father. The weight of his expectations crushed the words right out of my throat.

I leaned my head against the cool airplane window, staring at the runway lights flashing past. Sometimes, I wished no, begged for my life to be different. For once, I wanted something simple. Something perfect. But I already knew that dream would never come true.

A faint smile tugged at my lips as I shifted in the wide leather seat. At least I was on a high-class flight. Not that it was mine, I could never afford this. It was Father’s money again, of course. Always his money. His shadow was everywhere.

And then, Tommy’s face flashed in my mind. His easy grin. The way his laughter carried like sunlight in a crowded room. He had this way of making me believe even just for a second that maybe I could have a shot at happiness. Maybe I wasn’t entirely broken.

But that was another lie I clung to, wasn’t it? I had promised him we’d see each other again. That wasn’t true. It couldn’t be. He deserved someone honest. Someone brave. Someone better than me.

“Will I see you again?” he had asked, his voice so raw, so full of hope.

“You will,” I had whispered back. But even as the words left my mouth, I knew it was another lie.

As the plane lifted off, the city shrinking beneath me, my heart felt like it was being left behind with him. I closed my eyes, trying to let sleep numb the ache, but when I woke hours later, the emptiness was still there.

When the wheels finally touched down, I forced a smile. Time to face home again.

Or at least, the place that was supposed to be home.

“DREEEEWWW!”

The voice nearly knocked me off my feet before the hug did. Max came running like a whirlwind, flinging his arms around me. He clung so tightly I could barely breathe.

“OMG, you’re actually here! How was New York? Did you eat their chicken? Or their burgers? Everyone says they’re amazing! Ooooh did you buy me one of those ‘I ♥ NEW YORK’ shirts? Please tell me you did!” He rambled on without pausing for air.

I blinked at him, still a little dazed from the flight, then my eyes landed on James. He stood a little behind, his arm slung casually around his husband’s shoulders, giving me a warm smile.

I couldn’t help but wink at him before turning back to Max, who was practically bouncing with excitement.

“Yes, yes, I got the shirt,” I said softly, tugging the corners of my lips into a small smile. “And New York was… fine. How’s everything here?”

For a second, Max’s smile faltered, and my stomach dropped, bracing for bad news.

“Oh! Right. The day you left, your dad called,” Max said, scratching the back of his neck nervously. “Since he couldn’t reach you, he said he’d be in a conference for a week. Which means…” He trailed off dramatically, then grinned. “He’ll be back tomorrow.”

Relief flooded me so hard it made me dizzy. “Thank God,” I whispered, pulling Max into another hug. My chest loosened a little for the first time in days.

Maybe just maybe things wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe I could finally breathe.

But then 

My phone buzzed.

I froze, my hand trembling as I pulled it out of my pocket.

One new message. Unknown number.

“You can’t run forever, Drew. He already knows.”

The words blurred for a moment as my pulse thundered in my ears. My throat went dry. No. No, this couldn’t be happening. Not now.

I swallowed hard, forcing my face to stay calm as Max rambled about burgers again. But inside, panic clawed at me.

Had Father already found out about my lies? About Tommy? About everything?

The relief I had felt seconds ago evaporated.

Maybe today wasn’t going to be a good day after all.